BISMARCK, ND – For the second straight season, the Bismarck Bobcats have dropped back-to-back games to open their home schedule—falling Friday night at home 5-3 to the Aberdeen Wings at the VFW Sports Center.
It was a four-goal third period explosion for the visiting Wings that torpedoed the Bobcats Friday. Leading 2-1 after two, the Cats saw Wings forward Mike Mikulan bat home a Michael Malady rebound past goalie Danny Harper to force a 2-2 tie just 5:58 into the final frame.
The Bobcats pulled back ahead 58 seconds later on Nikolaj Rosenthal’s third of the year when the Danish forward swung in his own rebound to restore a one-goal edge at 3-2.
Unfortunately for the home side, it was the last goal they’d score. Aberdeen on the other hand, cranked up their offense starting 40 seconds after Rosenthal’s go-ahead tally as Wings defenseman Ryan Wagner leaned into a Tim Tuscher rebound, beating Bobcat goalie Danny Harper to force a 3-3 tie.
The game remained tied until late in the third when a slashing minor was assessed to Bobcat defender Tom Rizzardo. On the ensuing power play, Wings forward Cory Ward found a crease in the middle of the Bismarck zone and beat Harper high glove to push Aberdeen out front by a score of 4-3 with 3:11 left in regulation.
Bobcats head coach Layne Sedevie tried to rally his troops by pulling Harper for an extra attacker with 1:42 left, but Ward intercepted a pass of a Bobcat faceoff win and launched a 100-foot shot into the empty net to seal the 5-3 win for the Wings—the first in the young history of the franchise.
Tempers flared late in the game when Tuscher took a late shot at Bobcats forward Charlie Mosey. The hit drew the ire of Mosey’s linemate Matt Gates, who took a roughing minor in retaliation. On the ensuing faceoff, Bobcat defender Will Preston fought Tuscher in defense of Mosey, resulting in 21 penalty minutes in the final nine seconds of the game.
Aberdeen opened the scoring Friday as, just seconds after Bobcat defender Tom Rizzardo rang a 30-footer off the far post of Aberdeen netminder Frederick Leisner’s net, Wings forward Nils Semjoniv streaked up the left side of the Bismarck end and beamed a high shot past Harper for a 1-0 score 9:30 into the game.
The Bobcats responded with a two-goal second period as veterans Tyler Richter and Bryce Schmitt each tallied goals to pull the home side ahead 2-1 before the disastrous final frame.
Harper fell to 1-1-0 on the year behind 21 saves while Leisner stopped 25 Bobcat shots en route to his first win of 2010-11 (1-3-0).
The Bobcats continue their two-game homestand Saturday as the red-hot Alexandria Blizzard, winners of their last three contests including spoiling the Bobcats’ home opener last Friday 3-1, return to the VFW Sports Center for a 7:15 showdown.
The contest will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at http://nahl.fasthockey.com/. Pre-game coverage will begin at 6:45 PM CT.
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2010-11 season! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving your seats for the entire season as the Bobcats look to defend the Robertson Cup!
BOBCAT HOCKEY
2010 ROBERTSON CUP CHAMPIONS